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The Descent of Man

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"holding their wings quite erect over their<br />

backs, retaining them in this position for a considerable<br />

time," and thus exposing the under<br />

surface to view. Other species, when settled on<br />

the ground or herbage, now and then suddenly<br />

and slightly lift up their wings. Hence the lower<br />

surface <strong>of</strong> the wings being brighter than<br />

the upper surface in certain moths is not so<br />

anomalous as it at first appears. <strong>The</strong> Saturniidae<br />

include some <strong>of</strong> the most beautiful <strong>of</strong> all<br />

moths, their wings being decorated, as in our<br />

British Emperor moth, with fine ocelli; and Mr.<br />

T.W. Wood (18. 'Proc Ent. Soc. <strong>of</strong> London,' July<br />

6, 1868, p. xxvii.) observes that they resemble<br />

butterflies in some <strong>of</strong> their movements; "for<br />

instance, in the gentle waving up and down <strong>of</strong><br />

the wings as if for display, which is more characteristic<br />

<strong>of</strong> diurnal than <strong>of</strong> nocturnal Lepidoptera."<br />

It is a singular fact that no British moths which<br />

are brilliantly coloured, and, as far as I can dis-

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